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Technology News Articles 

Internet Marketing – Finding Balance Between the Old and the New

Ever since Henry Ford invented the assembly line, there has been a battle between those who embrace innovation and those who prefer the status quo – sometimes referred to as the good old-fashioned way of doing things.
I contend that the best of both worlds lies somewhere in the middle of the two and embraces technology and automation without forgetting that behind every machine is a warm-blooded operator and an end user with a beating heart.
Using technological tools to enhance connection and communication with other people is a great application.  Using them to replace human interaction – not so good.
Let me give you a couple of examples:
Email Marketing
Good: Sending a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly newsletter packed with useful information and a small amount of promotional stuff.
Not so good: Sending lots of “buy this from me” promotional messages with no attempt to provide information that the reader finds useful.
Good: Asking for permission to send email by using an opt-in process.
Not so good:  SPAM-ing people by buying a list or adding them to your database without their permission.
Twitter
Good: Scheduling 10-15% of your tweets to go out automatically but tweeting “in person” the rest of the time.
Not so good: Scheduling most or all of your tweets and almost never showing up “in person” to interact with your Tweeple.                 
The question I get asked most often about technology tools like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, email marketing or blogging is, “Can these things help me grow my business and should I bother with them?”
My answer to both is twofold: Yes and No. 
Yes, if you are planning to use these and other tools like them to build and strengthen your relationships with the people that you are doing business with already – or the ones you hope to do business with in the future.
No, if you plan to try and cut corners on the relationship-building part.
When I saw the most recent Star Trek movie it gave me hope because if even young Spock with his whiz-bang, off-the-charts technological thought process can come to realize that the humanity factor is significant, then there’s hope for the rest of us to get it right as we muddle our way through the Jetson-like changes going on all around us.…

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Technology News Today

Crucial Tips to Finding Your Perfect Computer

With enough choices on the market to make the average consumer’s head spin, it can be extremely tough to figure out which computer will best fit a particular person’s needs. Even the simplest choice, like whether to get a desktop or a laptop, can seem daunting if not prepared and armed with the right questions. Employees at the local computer store or electronics retailer only help to confound the issue by throwing technical jargon around and making the process seemingly harder than necessary. These tips should get you well on your way to having the perfect computer to fit all your needs.
First, decide the primary use of the computer. This can be as simple as determining whether the computer will be used at home or if portability is a key factor. Even if the computer will be primarily used at home, there may be a chance a laptop would be the best option. For example, people who like to be on their laptop to check stats while watching sports may want a laptop. Also, thinking about whether this computer will be used primarily for work or entertainment can be important for determining the power necessary.
Next, think about computing power needed. This is where the average user starts to get slightly confused when GHz and RAM start getting thrown around. The secret is to take what you learned in the first tip to figure out what programs you will be using the most. If all you are doing is surfing the web and checking your fantasy baseball team, it may not be necessary to get the strongest and fastest computer out there. If there are particular programs being utilized, check the recommended specs for those programs and go just a little above those specs.
Thirdly, assess how much space you will need. If you plan on storing a ton of large files like movies and music on the machine, you will obviously need a lot of space. With the price of memory dropping lower each year, it is very easy to get a computer with enough space to hold whatever you may want. Also, memory is something that is expandable in the device or by an external hard drive, so don’t worry if you run out of space. The general rule of thumb these days is a 500GB hard drive to start. A 500GB hard drive will hold a lot of information including plenty of music and movie (or spreadsheets). If you know that you will be holding a lot more media, then it is advisable to get a 1TB (which stands for terabyte and is 1,000 GB).
Additionally, something that many people consider nowadays is whether to buy Apple or Windows. This can be tricky and both companies have some pros and cons when considering a new computer. Generally, an Apple computer will cost your more but people who love them are dedicated to them with a passion and fury. Windows users tend to be less passionate, but usually have no desire to switch to an Apple computer. Apple tends to be more user-friendly for the type of person who may not be the most computer-savvy individual. Windows are much more customizable and have a variety of manufacturers that can provide the computer. It is recommended to go to a computer store and just get your hands on both and play around a little bit.
With these tips, finding that perfect computer should be much easier and less of a headache. Remember to research what you need in a computer and then take a little time to research models of computers. Following this advice, the perfect computer can be found without anymore headaches.…